Basic Details
Word: Identifies
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Recognises who or what someone or something is, and names it; also feels close to someone because you share something with them.
Synonyms: recognises, names, spots, picks out
How to Spell Identifies
Syllables: i - den - ti - fies
Tricky part: Identify changes its y to i before es. Students write identifys, or add an extra n at the start and write indentifies.
Watch out for: identifys, indentifies, identifes
Memory tip: Treat it like cry and cries: identify drops the y for ies. It begins with iden, the same four letters that start identity and identical, never inden.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Our science teacher identifies birds just by hearing their calls.
Example 2: The guide identifies each plant in the garden by its leaves.
Example 3: Rahul identifies with the hero of the story because both love cricket.
Fun Fact
Police have used fingerprints to identify people for more than a hundred years, and even identical twins do not have the same prints.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word identifies as used in the sentence:
The app on my phone quickly identifies the song playing on the radio.
a) confuses
b) recognises
c) ignores
d) forgets
Show answer
b) recognises. To recognise something is to know what it is, which is what the app does.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
id_nt_fies
a) i, i
b) e, e
c) a, i
d) e, i
Show answer
d) e, i. Say i-DEN-ti-fies: the first gap is the e of den and the second is the i of ti.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. recognises 2. describes 3. examines 4. identifys
a) says what someone or something is like
b) knows again someone or something seen before
c) picks out and names who or what something is
d) looks at something closely and carefully
Show answer
c) picks out and names who or what something is. Recognises, describes and examines are all correct; identify must change its y to i before es.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A witness who identifies a thief ____.
a) points out who the thief is
b) helps the thief escape
c) writes to the thief
d) pays the thief back
Show answer
a) points out who the thief is
2. An identity card is often called by which short form?
a) IT
b) IC
c) IF
d) ID
Show answer
d) ID
